Question

What was the most important reason the city of Boston chose to fill in much of their swampy land and coastal areas?
A.
Swamps are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other disease-bearing insects.
B.
The original peninsula was prone to flooding.
C.
More land was needed for its growing population.
D.
The harbor was inaccessible under the original layout.

Answer 1

C.
More land was needed for Boston's growing population so they chose to fill in the swampy land and coastal areas.

Answer 2

The correct answer is - C. More land was needed for its growing population.

Initially, Boston was surrounded by swampy area, and this shallow waters were dominating the landscape. Since the local authorities decided that the city should grow, and also because lot of people wanted to settle there, they decided to fill in the shallow swamps with soil, in order to make more land for the city to grow. And so they did, filled the swamps with soil, destroyed them, and creating much more land for new settlers to come in. In just over 250 years, Boston managed to double its population in the period between the 17th and 19th century.